Allen Park — Ben Johnson is back!
And he’s ready for that to stop being a story.
The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator on Wednesday was asked about deciding to withdraw from head-coaching opportunities and return to the Motor City for another year, and just how impactful it’s been for the rest of the team.
“Truthfully, it’s not about me and it never has been,” Johnson said. “So for them, I think it’s a player’s game. They’re going out there — yeah, I’m still here, whether they like me or not, I don’t really know — but the fact of the matter is, it’s about them and that’s the mindset we take as a coach staff each and every day.
“It doesn’t matter who is the coordinator, who’s the play caller, who the position coaches are. We’re here for them to make them the best football players that they can possible — make this organization win as many games as we possibly can.”
In Johnson’s first year as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Lions’ offense last season trailed only the two Super Bowl participants — Philadelphia and Kansas City — in yards gained (averaging 380) during the regular season and was fifth in points scored (453). All this, meanwhile, after a season in which the Lions were near the bottom of the league in both those categories; Detroit didn’t add any significant players besides oft-injured receiver D.J. Chark, while also trading away productive tight end T.J. Hockenson midseason.
Though he’ll enter this season as one of the hottest coordinators in the game of football — Pro Football Focus listed him as the No. 1 offensive coordinator in the league earlier this week — Johnson is over the hype about him, personally.
Johnson added, “This narrative that I’m back, like no, this is about our guys, man. It’s about our guys right now. They’re the ones going out there winning football games for us.”
After a year of growing into his new responsibilities with gusto, Johnson believes he has plenty to improve on from Monday through Saturday.
“I’d say from a preparation standpoint, (I want to be) more efficient. There were some late nights and we had some tired coaches over the course of the season. I’m hoping to be more efficient with the game plan process to help us, to help the entire process throughout the week,” Johnson said.
“On game day, I don’t know that much will change. “We’re pretty much — hay’s in the barn at that point — and by the time we get to kickoff and we know exactly what we want to do, once the game gets going, so I don’t think that’s going to be an issue, but the preparation part, I’m hoping to be a lot more efficient.
“Our coaches, I mean they do a heck of a job getting me the information, but it … took me last year a lot of time to sift through it, so hopefully that’ll accelerate.”
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi